“How about we call a truce on whose fault it was? I’ll see you home and then I’ll arrange your new phone to be delivered.”
“No, I have to draw the line at the phone. I’m sure I have an old one somewhere I can charge up until I replace my other one.”
“I won’t hear of it. Look, Ms. Fitzgerald—”
“Chloe. If I’m to call you Miles, you must call me Chloe.”
“Chloe.” He liked the way it tripped off his tongue. In fact there was a
n awful lot he liked about this woman. “One thing you’re going to learn about me is that I am a very determined person.”
She quirked a brow. “Does that mean you don’t listen to other people?”
“Oh, I always listen. It’s how I work out what people really need. In my line of business it would be a mistake not to listen.”
“You said you’re in security?”
“Yes, both personal and online.”
“Just you?” she asked.
“No, I have a team of experts working for me.”
“So, you’re the boss of everything?”
He felt a grin pull at his lips. “Well, maybe not everything. But I am the boss of Steel Security, so trust me, paying for your medical bills and for a new phone won’t cripple me financially.”
She looked him straight in the eyes. From here he could see her pale blue irises were flecked with gold. They were the kind of eyes he could stare into for quite some time and happily get lost.
“Based on your experience as a security expert, would you advise a woman on her own to allow a stranger, like yourself, to take her home?”
Miles laughed. “Not under normal circumstances, no. In fact, I would advise against it most strongly. However, if you would like to speak to my assistant at the office, I’m sure they could vouch for my identity and, I hope, my trustworthiness.”
She continued to stare at him, then gave a little nod. “As a schoolteacher, I’ve learned to be a pretty good judge of character, and I think I’ll be okay with you. I accept your kind offer.”
“Excellent. Now, I’ll take you home so you can rest up.”
“And what about you?” she asked. “How will you get home?”
“I’ll call for a ride. Honestly, it’s no bother. So? Where to?”
She gave him her address and he raised his brows.
“Midlothian? You came a fair distance to run in the park.”
She shrugged and looked out the window. “I like the park.”
Miles continued to look at her, but she kept her gaze firmly outside. He couldn’t help but admit it. She intrigued him in a way that he didn’t want to ignore, but there was something about her that made his senses prickle, too. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Something that made him curious on a professional level as well as a personal one.
Miles turned on the car and backed out of the parking space before heading toward Midlothian. This time of day the trip would probably take around forty minutes. Again, he wondered why she’d chosen to come to Lincoln Park this morning, since it was so far away from where she lived.
She shifted her gaze from out her side window and back toward him. “I’m always looking for places to take my class on day trips. The Lincoln Park Zoo is one of my favorite places to go. That’s why I was at the park this morning.”
“Hey, no problem,” he said, wondering why she sounded a little defensive.
“Did you want to come in for a coffee or something cool to drink before you call your ride?” she asked unexpectedly, changing the subject.
Miles was on the verge of refusing but then thought better of it. “Sure, that’d be great. Thanks. Although, as a security expert, I would advise against it.”